Welcome Home, Bobby Winslow

by Christyne Butler

  “Ah, no, it’s nothing.” Bobby sat up straight. “Just talking to myself.”

  “Yeah, I do that a lot, too. With three teenagers at home I’m the only one who listens to me.” Nolan sat opposite him, laying a cell phone on the table. “Sorry for the delay. I had to take a long-distance call from my brother.”

  Bobby wondered which one as there were six Murphy brothers, only four of whom were part of the family business. He’d gotten to know them quite well in the past year of working with the company.

  “I ran into Liam when I first got here and then Dev and I reviewed an update to my security software,” he said. “Don’t tell me it was Bryant on the phone? Dev said he’s not due back from his honeymoon for another week.”

  Nolan shook his head. “No, it was my oldest brother, Adam, calling from Afghanistan.”

  Ah, the one brother he hadn’t met.

  Bobby didn’t really know Adam as he was at least six years older than he and the rest of their high school crowd. Like his brothers, Adam was an owner in the company, although he didn’t work there full-time. “You’ve said he’s in the Air Force, right?”

  “Yeah, the reserves, but he might as well be active duty as much as he’s been gone. He’s due to retire early next year. His unit is on their third tour in the last five years.”

  “Has he been stateside recently?”

  “This past summer.” Nolan’s tone grew serious. “He got a week’s leave when he escorted the body of his best friend home, a member of his unit who was killed over there.”

  “Scott Coggen,” Bobby said, picturing the framed photo draped with a gold star banner on the memorial wall at the Blue Creek Saloon.

  Nolan nodded. “That was a tough week for Adam. He and Scott had been tight since high school. Still, with the services and…everything else I think he was almost glad to head back overseas this time.”

  Silence filled the room for a moment before Nolan flattened a hand over the drawings before him. “Okay, enough about that. Let’s talk about this idea of yours.” He smiled and raised his brows. “I’ll have you know I only picked up your after-hours call because you’ve already dropped a bundle of money with my company.”

  Bobby returned Nolan’s grin. “So you told me on the phone. Weren’t you also waiting for your daughter to get home from a date?”

  “Don’t remind me,” Nolan groaned and turned the papers around so they were faceup to Bobby. “Now, this is just a preliminary, off-the-shelf rendering for fifteen or so buildings that could be used for a summer camp. It’s quite a departure from what you wanted earlier.”

  “Yeah, I guess it is.”

  Bobby didn’t want to go into the reasons for the change, since he wasn’t quite sure himself.

  Leaning forward, Bobby kept his gaze on the drawings as Nolan laid out the plans, sharing that they’d originally been drawn up for a millionaire who wanted to create a summer retreat for his family but eventually scuttled the idea.

  The layout included a main building that could be used for offices and a medical facility while another structure would house a cafeteria. The smaller units, with modifications, would be the sleeping quarters for campers and staff.

  “You plan on keeping the home itself private?” Nolan asked.

  Bobby looked across the table at the architect, a bit dazed from all the information. “Ah, yeah. Private.”

  “I figured as much, but just so you know these plans don’t include the barn or any of the other buildings we’ve already built for you until you want them included.” He pointed at the cluster of squares in the clearing. “Of course, you’d need outdoor amenities like a ball field, campfire areas and so on. As is stands, this layout would accommodate approximately a hundred and twenty kids.”

  A hundred and twenty? What the hell was Bobby thinking?

  “Of course, that depends on how many camp sessions you have. Also, I’d recommend you keep the access road outlined in the original plan.” Nolan noted the property line off the country road. “It’s far enough past your private drive that it could be the main entrance for Winslow Acres.”

  “Winslow what?”

  “Sorry, just a name I came up with while playing around with the idea.” Nolan grinned. “Naming the camp is the least of your worries. Are you going to run the place or are you just the money behind it?”

  Run it? “Well, my rehab is right on schedule to get me back behind the wheel. The racing season runs from March through October. I won’t even be in Destiny over the summer months, if all goes according to plan.”

  Confusion colored Nolan’s features as his gaze flickered to the cane for a moment. “I was under the impression you might be retiring and moving back home for good.”

  The assumption burned, no matter how well-founded. “I’m not retiring. Like I told you on the phone, this is just a…a last-minute, off-the-cuff idea for what to do with the land.”

  “Which is why you requested I handle this personally instead of passing it to someone else on my staff?” Nolan sat back in his chair. “No sense in word leaking out and getting the town worked up over this, especially if it’s just a pipe dream.”

  “Exactly.”

  A pipe dream. A fabrication. A spontaneous response to a woman who once meant everything to him.

  Bobby stared at the drawings and then at the man whose company had worked hard to make Bobby’s dream home a reality. Was he going to ask the Murphys to do it again?

  For Leeann this time?

  Nolan held his gaze for a long moment before he spoke. “Well, like I said, this is all very basic. Most owners who have the opportunity to build from the ground up would probably want to customize the plans so everything, from the location of the cabins to water access, is how they imagine the camp being once it’s completed.”

  “Water access?”

  “You know, for swimming, boating, et cetera?”

  Jeez, the only thing swimming at the moment was his head. He hadn’t thought there was much more to a camp than a few cabins. “Well, you’ve certainly covered all the bases in such a short amount of time.”

  “With six brothers, all within a few years of each other, my folks never sent us to summer camp. But my kids went many summers when we lived in Boston. Believe me, deciding on one is like picking out a college.” Nolan stood and rolled up the drawings before dropping them into the carrying tube. “And speaking of water, I know the pond next to your place isn’t part of your property, but if this idea ever moves from ‘what if’ to something real, you might want to think about getting your hands on it.”

  Leeann’s pond.

  Yeah, he wanted to get his hands on—

  The cell phone on the table vibrated. Nolan grabbed it and turned it over. “Ah, joy. The ex-wife.”

  Bobby pushed himself to his feet. “I’ll let you get that.”

  “No rush.” Nolan pocketed the phone. “It’s a text message and I hate responding to those. Carrie knows that, which is why she sends them. She can wait.”

  Walking around the table, Bobby took the tube Nolan offered and then shook his hand. “I appreciate you pulling this together so quickly for me.”

  “I know there’s more to this than you’re telling me, but hey, every man is allowed his secrets. And these plans can stay hidden in that tube until you make up your mind about what you want to do,” Nolan said as they walked out to the main entrance. “But we’re into October now so if you choose to do any land clearing before winter sets in, no matter which plans we go with, we’ll need to get moving soon. Especially if you keep on course with the racetrack.”

  Meaning clearing land for a racetrack was a lot different than clearing selected areas for a summer camp where the forest would be as much a part of the surroundings as the buildings.

  Leeann’s horror at cutting down all those trees flashed through his mind, but he forced the image back. It was his land, not hers. Not anymore.

  “Understood,” Bobby said.

  They walked into t
he large entry area that acted as a lobby and found Zip leaning against the reception desk, chatting with the pretty redhead sitting there.

  “You know, your friend has been talking to my receptionist since you arrived,” Nolan said.

  “Don’t worry, Zip’s harmless.” Bobby noticed the sparkle in the girl’s eyes and how it faded when she spotted her boss. “Most of the time.”

  Moments later, Bobby and Zip said their goodbyes and climbed into the pickup truck.

  “You want to share what that’s all about?” Zip asked, nodding toward the tube lying on the seat between them as he pulled out of the parking lot. “I thought you got your phase two plans last week.”

  “I did, but…”

  “But what? Your ex-girlfriend got a peek at your designs and didn’t approve, so you’re changing…” Zip’s voice faded when Bobby remained silent.

  “Really, Ace?”

  Bobby should’ve known his friend would figure out what was going on, even after he’d refused to talk about the scene Zip had walked in on in his office.

  “Just drive and I’ll explain everything.”

  “You can explain when we get back to your therapy session. We don’t want to lose any ground on you regaining your full strength, right?”

  His buddy was right, but the need to see Leeann, to show her the plans, burned deep inside him. Dazed from everything Nolan had said, from buildings to staff to water sports, he wanted to talk about all of it with the woman who’d stuck this crazy idea in his head.

  “Don’t you have a conference call with your business manager after lunch?” Zip continued, breaking into his thoughts. “And you mentioned checking in with your mom since her trip has her in someplace like Slovakia or Bratislava?”

  “Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia, and what are you? My personal secretary?” Bobby looked at his friend. “How do you remember all this stuff?”

  “Hey, except not knowing the capital of some middle European country, I’m a pretty smart guy. There’s more to me than just muscles and a pretty face.”

  Bobby laughed and shook his head. “Okay, Zip, you win. It’s back to the house. For now.”

  “And where will we be going this afternoon? I’ve got plans with that cute redhead tonight.”

  “Didn’t you spend last weekend with that model?”

  “Yeah, Windy and I enjoyed some of Cheyenne’s night-life before she flew out on Sunday.” Zip shrugged. “You know, you also used to have a pretty active social life, BTA.”

  BTA. Zip’s shortcut for “before the accident.” His friend was right. There was a time when Bobby divided his time between bevies of beautiful women, from fashion models to advertising executives.

  Funny how he didn’t miss any of them.

  In fact, holding Leeann in his arms that night in the bar was the first time in a long time that his body responded with basic male need. It was a moment that made him realize how much he wanted the connection again.

  With no one but Leeann.

  “You know, it might be time for you to get back out there.” Zip offered him a wink. “So I’ll ask again, where do you think you might find her this afternoon?”

  “We’ll start at the Youth Center.” Bobby didn’t bother to even question the “her” his friend was referring to. If Leeann wasn’t there, he’d make a few phones calls, first to the Circle S Ranch and the Blue Creek Saloon. “If she’s not there, I’ll call in some backup if I have to.”

  “The point of always going out in a group is having backup in case you need it,” Leeann said to the half-dozen high school girls gathered in front of her, all dressed alike in workout gear and sneakers. “Safety in numbers, right?”

  The girls nodded. They were in their second of four self-defense courses Leeann taught at the Youth Center. The room she used wasn’t large, which is why she kept the class limited to eight girls, but it was private.

  “Last week we talked about how the first and best weapon you have is your mind. Thinking about your surroundings and the people in it and listening to your gut instincts will keep you out of trouble most of the time.” Leeann moved into the center of an oversize cushioned floor mat. “But there may be an instant when you find yourself alone and in a situation where you need to take action. So now we’re going to put those blocking and releasing moves we talked about into practice.”

  She paired the girls up and, between the giggles and wisecracks, she got them practicing on each other. As she walked among them, she corrected positions, demonstrated techniques and enjoyed seeing the accomplishment in their eyes when they completed a maneuver.

  Glancing at the clock, she noted the hour was almost up and Ben was running late. A member of the sheriff’s department, Ben Dwyer often stopped by and acted as her tackling dummy, allowing her to show off moves—female versus male—against him.

  Something that always impressed the girls as his entrance came unannounced.

  He’d walk in, dressed in street clothes, and move in behind her. Never quite sure what she needed to do in order to get free, Leeann found she liked the surprise as it kept her own training sharp.

  The door at the back of the room opened. Looking into the reflection on the mirrored wall, she froze when Bobby entered the room. Right behind him was Ben, who didn’t pause but headed right toward her.

  Realizing she wasn’t in an open area, she quickly moved away from the girls just as her former coworker reached out and grabbed her by her arm. Spinning around, she braced for his response, but realized that not only had the girls noticed what was going on, Bobby had, too.

  He raced across the room, rage in his eyes, his focus entirely on her make-believe attacker. Breaking Ben’s hold, she twisted and flipped him over her shoulder. The girls cried out and backed away as poor Ben landed facedown on the mat, her foot on his back as a symbol of his submission.

  And it kept Leeann between him and Bobby.

  “It’s okay.” She turned and held out her hand, stopping his forward movement just as he reached her. “I’m okay.”

  Her palm landed on his chest and even with a heavy leather jacket on, she could feel his heart pounding, his gaze focused on Ben.

  Leeann released her hold on her hapless victim in order to face Bobby completely, reaching up to cradle his jaw in her hands. She gently forced him to look at her; his skin was smooth beneath her touch, as if he’d just shaved.

  Which was crazy because it was four in the afternoon.

  “Bobby, look at me. I’m fine.” She kept her voice low but firm as she kept talking. “He didn’t hurt me. He wasn’t going to hurt me, but if he planned to I can handle it. I did handle it.”

  She saw the moment she got through to him. His eyes softened as he looked down at her, then he blinked and backed up a step, taking her with him because she hadn’t let go.

  “You’re okay?”

  His lips moved, but his words were barely a whisper, more like a silent plea.

  She nodded. He reached for her before he clenched his hands in tight fists, dropped them to his side and took another step back, breaking free of her touch.

  Ignoring the regret that filled her, Leeann turned back and helped Ben—who was still trying to catch the wind she’d knocked out of him—to his feet. She then made introductions to everyone, assuring them the intrusion was staged.

  “You, too, Mr. Winslow?” one of girls asked. “You were supposed to come in and see Leeann get attacked?”

  Leeann blinked hard at the girl’s words, her gaze going straight to Bobby’s reflection in the mirror.

  “Um, no…” His voice trailed off for a moment when he caught her watching him. His embarrassment seemed to grow, then shift into another emotion completely. Confusion? No, that couldn’t be right.

  “I stopped by to…discuss something with her.” Bobby broke free and graced the teen with his trademark smile. “With Leeann. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have interrupted your class.”

  “It’s a good thing Leeann saw you coming to her
rescue.” Ben grinned as he rubbed a shoulder. “Otherwise, I’d be toast.”

  “Yeah, sorry about that,” Bobby said.

  “What do you have to be sorry about? She’s the one who planted me on my face.”

  “Well, I’m sorry for disrupting things.” He looked at her for a moment, backing away from the group. “I’ll see myself out.”

  Once across the room, Bobby easily bent over to pick up whatever it was he had dropped—his cane? He then disappeared out the door.

  “Ben, would you mind working with the girls for a few minutes?” Leeann asked. “I really need to—you know—”

  “Sure, I can stick around. As long as you haven’t taught any of them that shoulder-flip move yet.”

  The girls laughed and paired off again. Leeann knew she was leaving them in capable hands as she hurried out of the room. Her eyes scanned the open area, spotting a volunteer and a student teacher from the elementary school. Leeann gestured to the door behind her and the teacher pointed toward the office.

  She took off at a run and reached the lobby just as Bobby passed the volunteer’s break room, heading for the front doors. “Hey!”

  He stopped and turned, his cane and a familiar-looking cardboard tube in one hand. “Hey, yourself.”

  Stopping in front of him, Leeann tried to catch her breath, but the intensity in his stare made it more difficult than it should have. “So what was all that back there?”

  “If you need me to explain it you…”

  She shook her head. “No, what I mean is, why are you here? And why aren’t you using your cane?”

  “I’m not using my cane because evidently I don’t need it.” Bobby thrust the tube into her hands. “And here, this is for you.”

  “Me?”

  “Look them over and tell me what you think. It was your bright idea after all.”

  “My idea?” She didn’t have any clue what he was talking about. “Wait a minute, is this because of what I said in your office about your land?”

  Bobby moved in closer and gently laid a finger at her lips, cutting off her words.

  “This is going forward on two conditions. First, no one in town finds out about it until a final decision is made.